Charity (Tree Work) Begins at Home: An Uplifting Experience
June 2021 marked the 50th anniversary of my entry into the profession of arboriculture as an adult (next year, 2022, will be the 100th anniversary of my late father’s founding of M. Blair Tree Experts). So what better way to celebrate than to get hit with the strongest storm in decades at my home? In […]
Uncommon Tools in the Toolbox
Everyone has their special setup in his or her truck toolbox, often full of sometimes perplexing items. For example, I find that many landscapers have a treasured, handmade weeding or clearing tool they’ve held onto in their family for generations (these are, without exception, always scary looking). In that same theme, here is my list […]
The Office Record
At my job, I have the honor of holding a record of some distinction. This record has not been broken in the three years since it was set; no co-worker has even come close. At least twice a year, I get to retell the story of how I achieved it to new employees as part […]
Is Self-Esteem Intrinsic to Meaningful Work, and Vice-Versa
Doing what you love and loving what you do. Is this simply an inverse parallelism, i.e., stating the same idea twice? Well, not exactly. When it comes to meaningful work, is the work meaningful as a matter of our own valuation of it, or is the work, simply by its necessity, important? All tasks, roles […]
Accident Investigation: Sharing Lessons from a Tragic Experience
This article is being published in a joint effort between TCIA and BDG Trees, LLC, to openly share the investigative findings of a fatal accident that occurred in August 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is our shared belief that by openly communicating throughout the industry the lessons learned and corrective actions taken, we can […]